Ridgefield man surrenders to police on embezzlement charges

Published 1:00 am, Friday, December 19, 2008

RIDGEFIELD -- Town resident Philip Friend surrendered to New Haven police Thursday on charges of embezzlement from Standard Beef of New Haven.

Friend was released after posting $350,000 bond.

Friend, 49, of Peaceable Street, is charged with first-degree larceny and 33 counts of third-degree forgery. Police say he embezzled over $237,000 from Standard Beef.

Friend has not been reached for comment but a woman answering the phone at his Peaceable Street residence Wednesday said the charges were "trumped up" and that Friend was "an innocent person." The woman declined to give her name.

Police said Friend was employed by Standard Beef as a consultant for some six months. Calls to Standard Beef were not returned and
Henry Bawarsky
, president and treasurer of the company, declined comment Tuesday night when reached by The News-Times.